Virtual reality (VR) systems allow users to view and interact with virtual worlds. However, conventional systems are limited in their ability to simulate a physical experience corresponding to a virtual world. For example, conventional systems for providing a physical experience are limited to providing a flat surface for the user even though the virtual world as viewed through a VR headset may include varying surfaces or objects. These surfaces or objects displayed through the VR headset may include, for instance, varying surfaces of a terrain (e.g., slopes, curbs, unevenness), obstacles in the terrain (e.g., stairs, fallen trees, boulders), materials comprising the terrain (e.g., sand or pavement), and so forth. The flat surface provided by conventional techniques fails to convey the physical experience associated with such terrain elements. As such, there is a disconnect, in conventional systems, between what a user views through VR displays and the user's physical experience. Thus, even as technology to generate the visual representation continues to increase in complexity, this disconnect prevents users from becoming fully immersed within the virtual environment.